Sprue cutter for transfer molding devices



May 24, 1949. M.. E GALE ET AL 2,471,148

SPRUE CUTTER FOR TRANSFER MOLDING DEVICES vFiled Jan. e, 194s y 2 sheets-sheet 1 Ih venters: Marvin E. Baie,

Frank W. Warner;

Thehr` Attorrw ey.

May 24, 1949.

M. E. GALE ET AL SPRUE CUTTER FOR TRANSFER MOLDING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ihvehtovs:

Marvm E. 621e, Frank W. Warer;

Filed Jan. 6, 1948 The'g Attorney..

Patented May 24? 1949 SRRUE .CUTTER'FOR TRANSFER MOLDING DEVICES` 1 Claim., .1' This, invention relates fto apparatus -for zmold-4 ing f plastics. off: ,the thermosettingL organic-type, andymore particularly to animproved apparatus for moldingthermosetting; plastics in which; the molding compound is first plasticized or-renfdereduentandsthen,transferredunder. prssure tota closede diei lor .mold-.31 In3the=moldingofv plastics` bythe method corn;- monly knovvrn in. the; artA as transfer moldingll the molding compound isplaced in .a press-urecham-- bers-or reservoir.; generallyknovvn asqa transfer wellfand'is there converteditoa plastic state by means. ofi-heat :suppliemtogthe iwalls Aci thewel-l andi-q;rassure*exertedgiov;l a plungerA orniston. acting. on the: `Compound.- Thee movement f of the plunger-Ordes thej plast-io` molding compound tl'xrouglr,` a. passage-` ;or sp1-ue of relatively small crossrsectional-`iarea into-the Acavity-oiga closed moldror. diewhere thefcomliwundis, converted to a hard; :intusible stat-efby heat-supplied to the Walllsvoffthe mold; e During the cur-ing of the Gompnund v.in the molcb; the residue` of the com,- poundremainingfinfthe transferv Well;y commonly referledzf to -ascthe-eull, and; alsOv the compound lllngthegpassage betweemthe transfer-Well and l theygmold,v likewise lcures; i When: the :mold: is opened? andf-thelmoldedipart -is removed, a small columnjo :cfuredlplastcg `or sprne; Whichis Y a: portion-vof thecompound` cured in the. passa-gefleadinge-frontthe -.transfer'if/e111 to the mold cavity, remains attachedy to the* moldedpart. The -`ive-.- moval 1of-this;sprue from` the molded-part cona stitutes yan.- additional stepfin the production of the--nal par-t andordinarily entails a greatf deal of: time,\;labo1fand expense as comparedfwith the u,

In, oldingaoperationfitself.A Removal lofthe sprue is: frequently largely a hand. operation and .i11- volves `cutting, Y grinding*` or polishingL operations1 o r-fa comb,ination-ofsuch` operationsl Furtherf more, @the molded partsv are-frequently marred duringftheremoval-'of theesprue so :that the refk 'sultingpoor: :3 ,ppearanceorl dimensional changes may Ynecessitate vtheir; rejection as being unsuitr able for the; purpose whichfthe l molded l part is ultimatelyA intended 1 to serve;v

It is, -thereiore, an; objectof this invention-to provide 'anmprovedappar-atus lfor transfer molding therltlosetting organic plastics` by means-of whiohfthe necessity forf removingf spruesirom molded: parts;` after the completion oithe-mold? ingloperationvisx eliminated.

It also, an object-to provide fan, apparatus for )producing-f transf'enmolded partsfree fof atv tachedspruesg Other objects and advantages of our-,@ invenv tion will be apparent from theadetatled desarme tion `which followsfand the; accompanyfing-P drawings illustratin. r. the: apparatus c ofgour inventioir` In the drawings;v

Fig. 1' is a view insideqelevatiom;partiallyin section, of; a moldingmachineembodying; our invention and:V including va molct for producing1 a Gasten Wheelihavingfan opening! therethrouglrto receivez an axle jor shafta;

.. Eiga 2A isan enlarged".nerSpeotiveviewf--of sa portionrofrthespruenut-off pinlwhchisan essen!- tiali element; of `the invention;

Fig.: .3 ist an, enlarged: sectonalnview of; af por,n

tionaoffEig.drshmvr' atte-transferfwells'moldi-,and sprue out ol; p ineiinc-the1-initlal position. f Inffthis' figure ther-mold: is l shown. in y the-f closedlv position immediately after the plastioized-moldingacomr pounds loasf` been transferred` fromthe vpressure chambertofthe mold cavity.,

Eiga;` (hisan. enlarged zvew; in cross 1section-:sh ovvv ing tlfzgmolmsprue cut-01T pin .in theadvancedlor nali fnositlon; rand `lower* `portion of the transfer wetlnwithf the molded. part in the mold.:l

Figa 5vis. a vertical: view.- in` cross section.. show- .inge the mold;- in; open.: position` andy the molded parttelevatedf-above the lower sectionl oi .the:mold ready` for y-izemovaLl Fig;- 6 isa` verticall lcross sectional view .of a device emlodyingbur Iinvention yiormolding..a gelasten wheeLi-ncluding, a centralinsertx as la. bush: ing memberior-the easter.r

The; molding machine illustratedl in Eig. .1, in: cludesaabasewl, a transfer well` retanerlZ. prof vided-1 with heating; passages.. 29 ,and a presshea'd 3 mounted-in-,Xedpaced relation onsupporteing A rodsl 4. Transfer Well orv .pressure ,chamber Exislsecured in thetransfer Well yretainer]A by .means of. supporting -ring. Plunger, 'l actuated. bytthe hydraulic cylinderaandlpistonassembly v ,8i fixed, to the presa headis i arranged, as showmftoipermit ent-rance .of the plunger: Tinto .the Ntransfer well. The transfer'v Well. communicates `Awith mold cavity 9; definedby'rnold'force IZ'a'ndmQld shoe I3', through passage yI'll'in sprue bushingll which lits tiglfitlyin both thestransfen Well retainer and Athe-mold -foroe- I The mold for-ce, which isy also providediwith `heating -passages 30; is secured to the-1 undersideof .f the transf eri fwell; retainerwand hen'oe;,-;rema-ins.- stationary durin thel operation ofwhew-inammoniac.''

The maddalena;` Drovidedfwithafheatingr passages 31|; is mounted' on:` a; supporting: member-,114s which initurmis:seouredntomoldnlatea l5.-lAnf,apent1rre is provided n.;membe1tfl4',; as; showminrtheraef iompanyingrdrawings, tog-10,ermitmdvementaofethe ejector pin retainer ZI' and ejector pin 20 as will hereinafter more fully be described. Mold plate I5 is mounted on the moving press platen I6 by means of parallel supporting members I1. The moving press platen is apertured to receive the supporting rods which guide the movement of the platen. Ram I8 and cylinder I9 are provided in the base assembly of the machine for the purpose of moving the movable press platen and mold shoe during the operation of the machine.

The ejector pin 2S is secured to ejector bar 22 by means of ejector pin retainer 2l. and is arranged to move in an aperture in the mold shoe when the movement of the press platen I6 causes the ends of vertical members 23 to be forced against the ejector bar. The vertical members 23 are slidably mounted in apertures provided in the press platen and are maintained in position when the mold is closed by enlarged sections or collars 24.

A hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 25 is mounted on the movable press platen below the mold shoe and lower mold plate arranged, as shown in the drawings, to move sprue cut-oil= pin 26 vertically. The sprue cut-01T pin slidably fits in an aperture which extends axially through the ejector pin and is aligned with the exit of the passage into the mold cavity, the upper end of the cut-off pin beiner tapered or otherwise of reduced cross-section to facilitate entrance of the pin into the passage in the sprue bushing when the cut-off pin is advanced to its final position and permits movement of the plasticized material through the passage in the sprue bushing when it is in its initial or retracted position. The lateral surfaces o the cut-off pin define. a portion of the mold cavity and may be of any desired conguration. By way of example, the cut-01T pin illustrated in Fig. 2 is characterized by a cylindrical lateral surface 26a. defining the central opening for a shaft or axle in the molded caster and a rounded, tapered end 26h. One or more grooves or channels 25e may be provided in the tapered end to aord the desired flow of plasticized material from the transfer well to the mold cavity. The lower portion of the passage through the sprue bushing or exit of the passage into the mold cavity and the aperture in the ejection pin correspond in cross-section to the cross-section of the sprue eut-off pin so that the plasticized material cannot escape through the ejector pin aperture and the sprue is effectively cut off when the mold is closed and the plastic in the mold is under heat and pressure.

In operation, the organic molding compound preheated, if desired, in granular or other solid form is placed in the transfer Well 5 with the mold cavity closed, the mold shoe being held securely against the mold force by the cylinder I9 and ram I8 as shown in Fig. l. After the desired amount of molding compound has been placed in the transfer well, the plunger 'l is forced into the well and pressure is applied to the compound by means of the hydraulic cylinder and piston arrangement 8. The heat from the heating passages in transfer well retainer 2 and the pressure exerted by the plunger cause the molding compound to become plastic or uent and iiow through the passage II) in sprue bushing II into mold cavity 9. During the passage of the plasticized molding compound into the mold cavity, sprue cut-off pin 26 is in its initial or retracted position, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the tapered '4 end of the pin projects into the exit of the passage in the sprue bushing.

When the mold cavity is lled, preventing further descent of the plunger into the transfer well, the sprue cut-off pin is forced upward into the sprue bushing by means of the cylinder and piston assembly 25 so that the lateral surface 26a of the cut-01T pin is in telescoping engagement With the surfaces of the walls of the sprue bushing passage at the exit of the passage into the mold cavity. The molding compound in the transfer well is thus effectively separated from the compound in the mold cavity. The relative positions of the sprue cut-off pin, the sprue bushing and the mold cavity at this point in the molding cycle are illustrated in Fig. 4. The hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly 25 may be actuated by the operator when the descent of the plunger 'i ceases or its operation may be synchronized with the movement of the plunger by any means well known to those skilled in the art so that the operation of the apparatus is automatic from the time that the plunger 'I begins its downward movement until the molding operation is oompleted.

Sufficient time is allowed for the molding compound in the molding cavity to cure to the hard and infusible state and the mold is then opened by means of the cylinder I9 and ram I8 in the base of the apparatus which causes the moving platen It and mold shoe I3 to descend. As the moving platen descends, the lower end of the vertical members 23 abut against the base member I causing the upper end of the vertical members to force ejector bar 22 and ejector pin 2l upward. As the upper end of the ejector pin enters the mold cavity the molded part is elevated above the mold shoe so as to facilitate removal of the molded part from the apparatus. Figure 5 illustrates the relative arrangement of the various parts of the machine and the finished molded part with the mold in the open position at the end of the molding cycle. 'I'he sprue cut-off pin may be returned to its initial or retracted position by means of the cylinder and piston assembly 25 at any time in the molding cycle after the molding compound in the mold cavity and sprue bushing passageway has been cured or hardened.

It is frequently desirable, for purposes of wear resistance or mechanical strength, to provide metal inserts in molded plastics parts. Fig. 6 iln lustrates the application of our invention to the molding of parts containing metal inserts. More specifically, by Way of example, there is shown in Fig. 6 a mold for a caster wheel, the caster wheel being provided with a metal insert or bushing 2l, the walls of which contain apertures 28. The lateral surface of the sprue cut-olf pin 2E is shaped to correspond to the inner surface of the insert. At the initial or retracted position of the cut-olf pin, the tapered portion of the pin is adjacent the apertures in the bushing Walls, as shown in Fig. 6, so that the plasticized molding compound may flow from the transfer well, through the passage in the sprue bushing and the central space in the insert, and into the mold cavity through the apertures 28. When the mold cavity is filled the cut-olf pin moves to its advanced or nal position so that the plasticized molding compound in the mold cavity is cut off from the residual compound at the apertures 23. As the cut-off pin moves to its final position, the molding compound is forced from the upper part of the insert and into the passage in the sprue bushing.

While the invention has been described by reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous modicatons may be made without departing from the invention. We, therefore, aim in the appended claim to cover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a device for transfer molding a thermosetting molding compound, a mold having a stationary part and a movable part, said parts dening a mold cavity when the movable part is positioned against said stationary part, a transfer well for plasticizing said molding compound, a passage in said stationary mold part interconnecting the transfer well and the mold cavity, means for forcing plasticized molding compound from the transfer Well through the aforesaid pasy REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of this patent:

15 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,322,502 Gullborg Nov. 18, 1919 1,916,495 Shaw July 4, 1933 20 1,988,506 Pack Jan. 22, 1935 1,997,074 Novotny Apr. 9, 1935 2,111,857 Jeffery Mar. 22, 1938 2,244,816 Von Lynn June 10, 1941 

